On the 16th July, he took his seat for 'the last term in Congress, remained there until the adjournment thereof to Annapolis, in the beginning of November, when he was called home to act as one of the Council for the Government of the Southern District of New York, of which body the Legislature had some time before elected him a member. Before he left Congress he had the pleasure of drawing, reporting and helping to pass the resolution of thanks to the brave army which more than eight years before he had voted to raise.

The council above mentioned had been vested with almost dictatorial power to continue until the government could be re-established over that part of the State so long possessed by the enemy, and now about to be evacuated Mr. Duane joined the other members of this body, and with General Wasuineron,

HON. JAMES DUANE. 1077

Governor Clinton, and hundreds of his fellow exiles, entered on the 25th November, 1783, his native city, when he took possession of his dilapidated property. He found his houses in King (now Pine) street, and at the corner of Water street and Fly market, almost entirely destroyed. His farm, as he calls it, consisting of about twenty acres, at what is now called Gramercie park' and its vicinity, wasin pretty good order, the house having ' been occupied by one of the British generals.

The council took possession of the property of Trinity church, set aside an election of vestrymen that had been held just before the Americans regained New-York, and ordered a new election,